《夜雨寄北》英译

 

 

《夜雨寄北》 可以说是李商隐诸多诗作中的一篇白话诗，是作者随手拈来的一个东西。不知道为什么那么多名教授、学者、专家类的，把这首诗搞得那么累，旁证索引，不厌其烦。特别是英语翻译，让人看得一头雾水，加加减减的零碎特别多。现举两例如下：

 

　北大英语系许渊冲教授的译作：

“You ask me when I can come back but I don't know,

　The pools in western hills with autumn rain o'erflow.

　When by our window can we trim the wicks again

　And talk about this endless, dreary night of rain?”

 

斯坦福大学刘若愚教授的译作：

“You ask me the date of my return -- no date has been set.

　The night rain over the Pa Mountains swells the autumn pond.

　O when shall we together trim the candle by the west window,

　And talk about the time when the night rain fell on the Pa Mountains?”

 

可以说以上两首译稿的后两句，反译回来连意思都不准了。我的翻译不见得是最好，但绝对不会扭曲诗作的原意。现英译如下：

 

《夜雨寄北》 李商隐

君问归期未有期，

 巴山夜雨涨秋池。

何当共剪西窗烛，

 却话巴山夜雨时。

 

《 Night Rain to the North》  Li Shangyin

 

You asked me when I could be back, but still not known yet,

The Autumn pool is overflowing with night rain in the mountain here.

Together,when the time we clip the wick at that west window

Yet, the rain in the mountain tonight would be a good subject to chat..